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OVERVIEW

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Brief Synopsis

Marshal Rocky Lane (Allan Lane) learns of a plan to obstruct the promotion of natural gas in his town. Bud Galloway (Roy Barcroft), ranch boss for Jeff Chadwick (Trevor Bardette)who has just gained his release from prison, is the ringleader of the gang fighting the gas company, headed by Joanne Collier (Cathy Downs.) Galloway tampers the gas line and kills an old man, and Chadwick is blamed. Galloway, knowing that Lane suspects him, hires Dutch Clyburn (Robert Bice) to kill both Lane and Chadwick. Lane learns that Galloway framed Chadwick for the murder of Joanne's father. Galloway gets his in an explosion, Joanne and Steve Edrington (Ray Montgomery)look like they are going to team up, and Rocky and "Black Jack" ride out of town. Evidently heading for El Paso for "El Paso Stampede", as this was the next-to-last film in the series for Allan 'Rocky" Lane and His Stallion "Black Jack." Lane would go on to become the voice of TV's "Mr. Ed", while "Black Jack" retired to a pasture.

The gas company of Lansdale, Texas, which is owned by Joanne Collier, is laying pipeline for natural gas, but when Joanne's fiancé, engineer Steve Erdington, and her employee, Nugget Clark, try to cross the Chadwick Ranch, they are threatened by the ranch foreman, Bud Galloway. Marshal Allan "Rocky" Lane comes to their rescue and later talks to Judge Wolters, who issues a court order for the gas company to proceed across Chadwick land. Meanwhile, a stage arrives bearing the embittered Jeff Chadwick, who has been paroled after serving seven years for the murder of Joanne's father Tex. Galloway, who has been overseeing the ranch since Chadwick's incarceration, fears that Chadwick will discover that he been selling off cattle. Hoping to get Chadwick blamed and returned to prison, Galloway consequently sends one of his henchmen, Dutch Clyburn, to open a valve in the gas company warehouse outside of town, in order to cause an explosion. However, Rocky, who happens to show up, turns the valve off and follows Dutch back to the ranch. After ordering Dutch to leave town, Rocky warns Chadwick that he will be held responsible for the acts of his men. Later, when Joanne, Steve and Nugget turn on the gas to test the pipes, they discover a leak on Chadwick property. Near the site of the leak, Rocky finds the crumpled court order and again suspects Chadwick's involvement. Meanwhile, Chadwick confronts Galloway about the rundown condition of his ranch and the low stock, but Galloway assures him that payment for cattle sold in Border City is expected soon. When Rocky shows up to arrest him, Chadwick orders Galloway to get the payment from Border City so that he can put up money for bail. While he is in jail, the gas company again turns on the gas and Chadwick watches in awe as the street and houses light up for the first time. Watching him, Rocky comes to believe that there is something yet undiscovered about Collier's murder, which happened before Rocky was hired, and asks Chadwick to tell him his side of the story. Chadwick claims that he and Collier had been friends and although he did not commit the murder, they had argued and no one could come up with a more plausible suspect. Soon Galloway, claiming to have ridden to Border City, arrives to put up bail for Chadwick. Meanwhile, one of his men goes to the town's general store, and after knocking out the shopkeeper, Anders, blows out the gas light. The explosion, which kills Anders, is carefully timed to coincide with Chadwick's release. Several townsmen, after remembering that Anders was on the jury that convicted Chadwick, form a lynch mob and proceed to his ranch, despite Nugget's attempts to stop them. Rocky rides out in time to save Chadwick from hanging, but the next day, several townsmen pressure him to arrest the rancher. Rocky takes off his badge and resigns, but later tells Joanne and Nugget that he is continuing with the investigation and confides his suspicion about Galloway, who did not have time to get money from Border City as he claimed. From Big Jim Foley, the cattle buyer in Border City, Rocky learns that Galloway sold the Chadwick cattle several months before and has not been back since. Dutch, who has been in Border City since his expulsion from Lansdale, overhears their conversation and returns to the ranch to warn Galloway that Rocky knows that they robbed Chadwick. When Nugget and Joanne see Dutch pass by, Nugget follows, but is captured by Galloway's men, along with Chadwick, who has discovered that his financial books are missing. The two are tied up in the gas company warehouse, where the gas has been turned on and a valve opened. Alerted by Joanne that Dutch is back, Rocky and Steve proceed to the ranch and after fighting Dutch, learn that Galloway killed Tex and framed Chadwick. Leaving Dutch with Steve, Rocky goes to the warehouse, fights Galloway and his men, and pulls Chadwick and Nugget outside for fresh air. Before Rocky can pull the thugs to safety, Galloway, who was knocked out during the fighting, awakens and shoots at him from inside the warehouse. When the spark from his gun ignites the leaking gas, Galloway and his thugs die in the explosion. Later, after Chadwick's name is cleared, the townsmen ask Rocky to stay, but lured by the thought of oranges on trees, Rocky rides off to California.